Film Fest Friday: ‘The Look of Silence’

Over the next several weeks, LakeFrontRow.com will announce one official Wisconsin Film Festival selection each and every Friday.

After opening eyes and chilling hearts with The Act of Killing, a brutal glimpse into how perpetrators of mass genocide internalized their guilt after Indonesia’s communist purge, Joshua Oppenheimer doubles down on his interests in difficult subject matter with The Look of Silence. A “companion piece” of sorts to The Act of Killing, Oppenheimer’s documentary centers its focus on a surviving family of the Indonesian genocide and the emotional aftermath of confronting those responsible for murdering one of their brothers.

Winning numerous awards already, including the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, The Look of Silence uses its confrontational style to present the radically transformative power of memory. It is an official Wisconsin Film Festival selection. Watch the trailer below: